Jean Mueller

Jean Ann Mueller

Born in Amarillo, Texas on February 22, 1935, to Harvey and Allene Woodmansee, Jean was raised in Los Lunas and educated in Albuquerque at St. Vincent's Girls School, attended Los Lunas High School, then continued to the University of New Mexico, where she obtained her degree in Education. While at UNM, Jean began a lifelong sisterhood with Alpha Delta Pi sorority and through this, she met her dearest friends and her future husband, Thomas O. Mueller of Santa Fe.

Jean began her professional career at Mark Twain Elementary, eventually going on to own Nor Este Preschool for several years with her best friends. After raising her family, Jean returned to teaching at Alvarado Elementary, and in 2000, she retired from Inez Elementary and Albuquerque Public Schools. Jean and Tom traveled all over the country in his small plane, visiting family and friends until his health necessitated a move near family to Fort Worth, Texas, in 2013.

Jean was blessed to reach her 90th birthday, allowing her to celebrate with family, friends and loved ones before succumbing to cancer on September 1, 2025.

She is survived by her daughter, Christine Penfold of Albuquerque, Mark Mueller and his wife, Pamela of Fort Worth, Texas, and Jana Acciacca and her husband, Tony of Huntington Beach, California. Through Jean and Tom's children, so far, their flourishing families include nine grandchildren and 13 ½ great-grandchildren. She precedes her brother, Robert Woodmansee and his wife, Sarah, of Colorado, as well as her sister-in-law, Barbara Mueller Clark, of North Carolina.

A family service will be held next summer in Santa Fe at the National Cemetery, where she will join Tom in their final resting place with a favorite view of the Sangre de Cristo mountains.